


My Pace, Your Pace

by IceLite1011



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Kindergarten & Pre-school, Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Aoki from Kagami's POV, Aomine Daiki Being an Asshole, Aomine Daiki Being an Idiot, Bullying, Comfort/Angst, Crying Kise Ryouta, Denial of Feelings, Eventual Happy Ending, Everyone Is Gay, Explicit Language, Feelings Realization, Kindergarten Teacher Kagami Taiga, Kindergarten Teacher Kuroko Tetsuya, Like there's a lot of crying, M/M, Men Crying, Model Kise Ryouta, One-Sided Attraction, One-sided Aomine Daiki/Kise Ryouta, One-sided Kasamatsu Yukio/Kise Ryouta - Freeform, Rating May Change, Some Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-11-01 07:24:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10917096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceLite1011/pseuds/IceLite1011
Summary: Kagami sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that day. “Ahomine loves him. That I’m sure of. But he’s scared too, of what Kise thinks of him and probably what the world will when he admits his feelings.”Kuroko stilled. “That is understandable…but I do hope they find their way towards each other again. I think their relationship is something beautiful.”“Yeah,” Kagami agreed, bringing his arms around his boyfriend as he smirked. “Like ours, right?”Kuroko giggled, and the sound sent Kagami’s heart soaring. “Yes, Taiga-kun, just like ours.”





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1 was originally a one-shot, but I decided to expand it! Enjoy this (hopefully) sweet little fic.  
> Kagami and Kuroko are teachers, and Aomine and Kise are their students. Starts out when the kids are in kindergarten and then skips to high school.

“Okay, everyone, stop what you’re doing! It’s nap time!”

Kuroko hid a small giggle, always finding it adorable when the children all scrambled up to Kagami at once, trying to snuggle against his huge frame for a nap. “Hey, hey!” Kagami would chuckle good-naturedly, and accept about three or four kids while promising the rest a chance tomorrow. Kuroko went around the room, tucking each child into their sleeping bag or mess of blankets and pillows, and made sure that everyone was comfortable. Suddenly, though, he was stopped by a tug on his apron.

He looked down in surprise. “Yes, Kise-kun?”

The five-year-old looked up at him with his doe-like amber eyes. Even at such a young age, the child was breathtaking, his fair hair soft as silk and rosy cheeks plump and cherub-like. 

“Kuroko-sensei,” the boy said, his voice inquisitive. “How old were you when you first kissed Kagami-sensei?”

For a split second Kuroko couldn’t comprehend the child’s words. Then he let out an uneasy laugh. “What do you mean, Kise-kun? Kagami-kun and I are just friends.”

Kise shook his head fiercely, his pink lower lip sticking out in a pout. “No! I saw!”

“You saw…?”

“Yesterday, in the hall.”

Suddenly it clicked. The previous afternoon, Kise’s mother had called, informing Kuroko that a client had popped up at the last minute and she would be about fifteen minutes late for pickup. After assuring the teary-eyed child that his mother _promised_ to be there and wouldn’t abandon him, Kuroko had given Kise some toys to play with while he and Kagami cleaned up the classroom. 

His coworker followed him into the hallway just as Kuroko stepped out to deliver some papers to a neighboring classroom. “Hey,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around Kuroko’s waist after checking to make sure the hall was empty. “Come over tonight.”

Kuroko let himself revel in his boyfriend’s warmth for a moment before answering. “Okay,” he breathed, gently pulling out of the embrace to plant a quick kiss on awaiting lips. Apparently neither of them had noticed a small blonde head peeking out of the classroom door.

“Kise-kun…” Kuroko started, trying to choose his words carefully. “What did you think of that?”

The boy tilted his head to the side, not understanding. 

“Did it make you happy? Or did you feel strange?”

Kise’s eyes widened. “It wasn’t strange! If Kuroko-sensei and Kagami-sensei are happy, I’m happy. You were like my mommy and daddy!”

Kuroko smiled, relief coursing through his veins as he patted the downy golden locks affectionately. “Thank you, Kise-kun. But why did you want to know when we first…kissed?” It definitely felt bizarre talking about kissing with a five-year-old, but he was curious.

The blonde boy’s nose scrunched up. “Aominecchi tried to kiss me today on the playground. But I was scared!”

Kuroko was taken aback. “Aomine-kun did…?”

“Yup,” Kise affirmed with a nod of his head. 

The young teacher tried to think the situation out. Aomine and Kise _were_ very close, although some thought they just fought all the time. While the latter was true—to an extent, anyways—it was obvious that the boys cared for each other. Whenever Kise was teased by the other children for his somewhat feminine looks and high voice, Aomine was always the first one to retaliate, snapping back at the others and holding Kise’s hand tightly until Kuroko rushed over to calm the children down. Whenever Aomine injured himself on the playground—which was quite often—Kise was always there to drag Aomine to the water faucet and stand over the tanned boy to make sure he washed the scrape properly. It wasn’t unusual for the two boys to spend nap time in the same sleeping bag, Kise’s head resting on Aomine’s slight chest. Kuroko loved watching the two of them. They reminded him of Kagami and himself when they were that age.

“Kise-kun,” Kuroko said, looking straight into the child’s honest eyes. “Do you like Aomine-kun?”

The child nodded furiously. “I love Aominecchi!” 

Kuroko smiled. “Did Aomine-kun trying to kiss you make you uncomfortable?”

Kise thought for a moment. “Nooo…”

“What made you scared, then?”

“Aominecchi was too fast! I didn’t know what he was trying to do.”

Kuroko laughed softly. “Maybe he was nervous, Kise-kun.”

The child pouted again, and Kuroko began to pull a light blanket up around Kise’s shoulders, tucking in the corners. “Please stay good friends with Aomine-kun, okay? I’m sure it would make Aomine-kun sad if he thought you didn’t like him.”

Kise smiled angelically, his expression fit for a magazine. “Okay, Kuroko-sensei! I’ll talk to him again later!” And with that he snuggled into his little mound of pillows, the smile remaining on his round face. Kuroko smiled and stood up slowly, relieved that Kise’s original question was momentarily forgotten.

 

* * *

 

At the same time, Kagami sat on the floor on the other side of the classroom, rocking a very fidgety child on his lap. 

“Hey,” he said to the boy. “Aren’t you sleepy?”

“No!” Came the stubborn reply. Big midnight blue eyes then proceeded to stare up at him. “Hey, Kagami?”

“Kagami-sensei,” The teacher corrected him, inwardly laughing at how the boy hated using any kind of honorific. He was going to cause trouble for his teachers in first grade. “What is it, Daiki?”

“I told you to call me Aomine! I’m a grown-up!” 

“Okay, okay, _Aomine_ ,” Kagami laughed quietly. “What’s up?”

The bouncy child on his lap suddenly stilled. “I think Kise hates me now.”

Kagami looked down at Aomine sternly. “Don’t say hate. Hate is a strong word.”

“It’s true, though!” Aomine almost cried out. The teacher was shocked. He’d never seen Aomine so upset before. He cast a quick glance to Kise, who was being tucked in by Kuroko. He looked back to Aomine. “Why? Did you have a fight?”

“No,” Aomine sniffed. “I tried to kiss him.”

“You _what_?” Kagami couldn’t help the surprised look on his face. Out of all the possible things that could’ve happened, he hadn’t expected _this_.

“I tried to kiss him,” Aomine repeated. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?”

“That’s only if you really, really like someone,” Kagami said carefully, unsure of how real the child’s emotions were. 

“I do!” Aomine retorted, crossing his arms. _Okay, then_.

Kagami ran a hand through the boy’s dark hair. “Well…” he considered his choice of words. “Maybe you should wait a little. Kise might not be ready for that yet, you know?” He didn’t have the heart to tell the child that his feelings might not be reciprocated at all.

Aomine stared at him uncomprehendingly. “Not ready?”

“Yup,” Kagami said, resuming his gentle rocking. “Everyone has their own pace. Kise’s might be a little bit slower than yours, that’s all.”

“What’s ‘pace’?”

“Um,” Kagami faltered. “It’s how fast you go, kind of. Kise’s just a little bit behind you right now.”

Aomine pondered over the idea. “If I wait, will Kise let me kiss him?”

“Maybe,” Kagami said. “You have to be patient. Give him some time.”

“How long?” The boy inquired. “Five minutes?”

Kagami chuckled. “You’re going to have to wait a little longer than that. But you’re a grown-up, right? You can do it.”

Aomine straightened up determinedly. “I’m a grown-up. I’ll wait.”

Kagami patted Aomine’s head. “Good boy. Now let’s get you to sleep!” He hoisted the boy off of his lap, laying him down on a black sleeping bag with red stripes. He pulled a blanket over the child, smiling down at the little face peeking out of the fabric. “Sleep well, Aomine,” he said, and backed away.

 

* * *

 

“Kagami-kun,” Kuroko murmured as the two teachers rested in a separate corner of the classroom while the children slept. “I saw you speaking with Aomine-kun.”

Kagami grinned. “And I saw you talking to Ryota. Looks like a lover’s spat.”

His boyfriend nudged him, but his face was smiling. “Please don’t joke about it. I’m worried for them. They’re so young…they don’t realize what they’re doing.”

Kagami put an arm around Kuroko’s slender shoulders, tugging the teacher closer to him. “They’ll be fine,” he whispered, glancing between Kise and Aomine with warm eyes. 

“How do you know?” Kuroko asked, relenting and resting his head on Kagami’s shoulder.

“Well, _we_ turned out fine, didn’t we?” Kagami teased, and Kuroko swatted his nose playfully. “I just _know_ , okay? Trust me on this one.”

Kuroko sighed, peering up at his partner. “We will have to see.”

Kagami let out a soft laugh. “For sure.”

 

* * *

 

Sure enough, on the very next day, Kuroko spotted Aomine on the playground during recess, approaching Kise slowly. Kuroko tapped Kagami’s arm, quickly motioning towards the two boys discreetly. The teachers watched the scene unfold silently.

Kise was perched on one of the large stepping stones, playing with tiny dandelions he had plucked from the ground. Aomine came up from behind him, and spoke to Kise, although the teachers couldn’t hear what he said. Kise turned around, a surprised look in his eyes, but a smile broke out on his face when Aomine gestured toward the slide. The boys climbed up the ladder, Aomine after Kise. At the top, they started talking again, Kise fidgeting with a handful of dandelions. 

They almost missed it. It was over in a flash, but Kuroko couldn’t help the huge smile that spread across his face when it happened.

Aomine leaned forward and pecked Kise on the cheek, both boys blushing a vivid red. The taller boy pulled away quickly, his eyes darting all over the slide. Kise, on the other hand, seemed to light up, jumping up and tugging on Aomine’s hand as he led him to the edge of the slide. After some adjustments, they were seated at the top together, Aomine pressed against Kise from behind, and off they went, down, down down. Somewhere along the way Kise flung the dandelions in the air, and Kuroko’s throat tightened from happiness as he saved that moment in his mind—Aomine’s hands curled over Kise’s shoulders, Kise’s arms thrown up in joy, and the dandelions like tiny yellow sparkles lighting up the smiles on both of their faces.

 


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fast forward to when they're third-years in high school!

Kagami _hated_ everything about college entrance exam season, which got all the students worked up, and in turn it worked _him_ up. There were so many papers to fill out per student, and he himself had 38 of them in his homeroom. It was a nightmare.

So here he was, sitting at his desk in the teacher’s room, writing little comments down on each student’s college survey sheet. “Consider a variety of cram schools,” or “May want to start a little earlier”, or even just “See me” for some people. He’d finally made his way through 15 students, and it was already 7:30. He’d be here till midnight at this rate. He let out a sigh, rubbing his sore neck. Other teachers working on their own surveys gave him empathetic looks. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door.

“‘Scuse me,” A bored voice drawled. “Is Kagami here?”

Several heads turned to glance at the intruder in alarm, but Kagami just sighed, getting up and heading towards the open door, where a student awaited him. He grabbed the sweaty head with his large hand, digging his fingers into the scalp.

“That’s Kagami- _sensei_ to you, _Ahomine,_ ” he growled once he and said “Ahomine” were safely outside in the hallway.

Aomine pushed his hand away. “I don’t give a damn,” he said tonelessly. “Just hurry up and come end practice.” 

Kagami sighed again. “You don’t speak to _all_ of your teachers this way, do you?”

The teen shrugged, wiping his face with the corner of his t-shirt. “I don’t see you as a teacher, really.”

Kagami ruffled the teen’s hair again (which he knew he hated) and laughed. “You really haven’t changed.”

The pair started walking down the hallway, Kagami silently reminiscing about the years up until that point. After Aomine had moved up to first grade, Kagami had continued to teach kindergarten alongside Kuroko for a few more years. He’d struggled to get a high school teaching license for years, and finally, _finally_ , two years ago, he’d landed a spot as an English teacher and the basketball club’s coach. Having played high school basketball himself, and with no other _real_ basketball coaches on hand, the school had been delighted to offer Kagami the position. It just so happened that Aomine wound up being a star member of the basketball club. _And_ he was in Kagami’s homeroom this year. Kagami could still remember the way Aomine’s mouth dropped open in horror when he first entered the gym two years ago, the basketball slipping from his hands and rolling across the court. Kagami was secretly glad Teiko was a massive K~12 school; it was great watching the little brat grow over the years.

Kuroko, on the other hand, was currently an elementary school teacher and taught Japanese literature to fifth graders. Many students loved him, even though they didn’t notice when he walked into the classroom most of the time. His gentle nature and simple yet thorough explanations quickly made him a student favorite. On more than one occasion had the young teacher helped Aomine struggle through his kanji studies, and it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that it was thanks to both Kuroko and Kagami that the boy managed to make it to high school.

“Hey, Kagami.”

The man blinked once as he realized the two had already arrived at the gym doors. “Ah, sorry about that,” he shook his head, quickly pushing open the double doors and immediately being greeted by the familiar squeak of sneakers on the court and the thud of basketballs being dribbled.

“C’mon, guys, time to wrap up practice!” He called, grabbing the team’s attention. Once they were all gathered in a circle around him and Aomine, he began to read off important announcements. 

“So…as you all know, you have a practice match with Kaijo tomorrow at 9:30. They’re going to be our guest, so make sure you clean up the club room and gym beforehand. I’ll discuss the game plan tomorrow, so make sure you’re all rested up. Don’t slack off on stretching! Any questions?” Silence. “All right, then! Practice over. Start cleaning up.”

He smiled as the team thanked him before scattering off to grab mops and put away equipment. He was about to turn around and leave when he noticed Aomine still standing there, his eyes downcast. 

“Aomine? Don’t slack off, get to mopping the floors.”

No response.

Worried, Kagami poked at the tanned boy. “Aomine?” 

His head snapped up, eyes narrowed. “What?”

Kagami frowned. “What’s wrong?” He’d known the idiot for years, and if the hunched shoulders and balled up fists weren’t screaming indicators that Aomine was stressed, he didn’t know what was. 

“…It’s nothing.” The teen mumbled, swiveling on his heel and beginning to stalk away towards the storage room. Kagami thought for a second.

_Practice match…tomorrow…with Kaijo…_

_Kaijo?!_

All of a sudden, it hit him, and he couldn’t believe how stupid he was. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed Aomine’s arm, dragging him out of the gym and towards the back of the building.

“Hey! Bakagami!” The boy yelped as he struggled against Kagami’s iron grip. “What the hell!” But ignoring the loud protests, Kagami kept hauling Aomine along, until finally they reached a secluded area where he was sure no one would come looking for them. Sighing, he finally faced the irritated Aomine.

“It’s Kise, isn't it.”

Instantly Aomine seemed to draw back, his face pinching into a defensive one. _Bingo_. He turned his head away. “No.”

Kagami sighed again, shaking his head. The idiot was such an open book. “C’mon, Aomine, it’s been years! Man up!” If he hadn’t known the boy for so long the death glare sent his way would’ve probably made anyone else cry. Midnight eyes shot daggers into his own crimson ones.

“Fuck off,” Aomine deadpanned, crossing his arms. “It’s none of your damn business.”

“First of all, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve known me, you will _not_ talk to a teacher that way,” Kagami spat back, growing irritated himself. “And secondly, it sure is my damn business! If you really wanted to end it there, then fine. But I _know_ you. I know how you really feel, and I damn well know that you regret your actions to this day.” He knew he was being harsh, but to such a simple-minded idiot (much like himself), he had to be.

“And,” he continued, paying no attention to the way the teen _tsk_ ed under his breath. “I know for a fact that he doesn’t hate you. So if that’s what you’re so scared about, then forget about that,” he said, his tone softening. “I’m sure he just wants to see you be you again.”

It seemed that Aomine’s tough facade cracked, and his shoulders slumped down from their previous tense position. He still remained silent.

“Tomorrow, talk to him…sort things out. It’s about time, okay?” And with that, Kagami gave Aomine a pat on the head, and he promptly walked away, knowing that the teen would want some time to himself.

 

* * *

 

“Kagami-kun, what is Aomine-kun going to do tomorrow?”

He looked down to meet sky blue eyes peering up at him, nimble hands pressed against his chest as they played with his shirt buttons. “You mean with Kise, right?”

Kuroko nodded, his soft hair tickling Kagami’s collarbone. “I spoke with him today, actually.” Kagami started in surprise, accidentally exposing more bare skin for Kuroko to happily nuzzle into.

“A-and?” He asked, rubbing Kuroko’s shoulders soothingly. He knew the two kept in touch much more often, and he was curious to hear what kind of news Kuroko had.

“As I thought,” Kuroko began. “He just wants to see Aomine-kun. He misses him so much, but he’s afraid of being rejected again.”

Kagami sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that day. “Ahomine loves him. That I’m sure of. But he’s scared too, of what Kise thinks of him and probably what the world will when he admits his feelings.”

Kuroko stilled. “That is understandable…but I do hope they find their way towards each other again. I think their relationship is something beautiful.”

“Yeah,” Kagami agreed, bringing his arms around his boyfriend as he smirked. “Like ours, right?”

Kuroko giggled, and the sound sent Kagami’s heart soaring. “Yes, Taiga-kun, just like ours.”

 


	3. Three

Hours later, after moving from snuggling on the couch to properly getting into bed, Kagami thought back to the past few years. He still remembered that day when Aomine and Kise were in kindergarten, and he and Kuroko had technically witnessed their first kiss. The sight warmed his heart in more ways than one, and although he never mentioned it to Aomine, that was probably his favorite teaching memory.

The pair was closer than ever after that, always playing together any chance they got and curling against each other at nap time. Which wasn’t anything new, but the air about them had changed. They were even sweeter, more caring around each other, and both Kuroko and Kagami had noticed it immediately. At first, they tried to brush it off. It might be a phase. They might grow out of it soon. Kagami thought of all sorts of explanations, but deep down he knew the children’s fragile, newfound feelings were very much real, and to be honest it scared him. It made him worry for their future.

And sure enough, when first grade rolled around, things took a turn for the worse. Although even after kindergarten, Kagami and Kuroko still spotted the little pair around the school, at one point the children seemed to grow distant. Kuroko noticed it first, when he had spotted Kise alone in the hallway for the first time since entering Teiko. Kagami hadn’t been there at the scene, but Kuroko had described Kise’s face afterwards as forlorn and dejected—an expression that should never be at home on such a small child. He’d tried greeting the boy, and Kise’d apparently broken down in tears on the spot.

After piecing together the story, the teachers had figured out the source of the trouble. Haizaki Shogo, a new student who transferred at the beginning of the semester, had pointed out the intimacy of Aomine and Kise’s relationship. He’d made fun of it, called them disgusting. And even though other teachers scolded the boy routinely, his words were enough to draw negative attention towards the couple. Soon, other children were whispering and pointing as well, keeping their distance when they walked down the hallway together. It didn’t take long for the comments to directly reach Kagami’s ears.

“They’re always together, even though they’re both boys!”

“My mommy said to stay away from them.”

“They’re so weird. I don’t want to be friends with them.”

It pained Kagami’s heart. It brought back memories of the beginning of his own relationship with Kuroko, when the news spread and naturally some people reacted negatively. But they were in high school then, and could handle the seething remarks. Aomine and Kise were so young; surely they would be affected more. And affected more they were, especially Aomine. Although Kagami wasn’t their teacher anymore, he saw the two children together less and less. And when they were, it was mostly Kise trailing behind Aomine, trying to get his attention while the taller boy roughly shoved him away. Kagami would never forget way Kise’s lips wobbled into a frown as he reluctantly let go of Aomine’s arm every time. But Kagami would also never forget the raw pain in Aomine’s eyes each time Kise backed away from him. It made his own stomach clench, and even though he was technically the adult in the situation, he hated how he couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t singlehandedly change every child’s twisted mindset that liking someone of the same gender was creepy or disgusting. He couldn’t ask for every parent to teach their child that, either. And he certainly couldn’t get Aomine to stop worrying about the stares of bystanders, because that was impossible. They were both children. It couldn’t be helped.

 

* * *

 

Aomine and Kise’s relationship seemed to deteriorate further as they got older. Kuroko still got frequent visits from Kise—who was now in third grade—though Aomine never did seek Kagami’s help. In fact, even when they passed each other in the hallways, the child always turned away, as if _he_ knew that _Kagami_ knew he was being a complete ass. Which he was.

One day, when Kagami had popped into Kuroko’s elementary school classroom after school to sneak in a snack and a kiss, he found said teacher in the corner of his classroom, crouched down with his back to the door. Confused, Kagami tiptoed over, a question on his lips before he noticed the tufts of golden hair peeking over Kuroko’s shoulder.

“Kise?”

At once, tear-filled amber eyes found his, and worry shot through Kagami’s veins. Kuroko glanced over, his own eyes dark, as he continued to embrace the trembling child. Kagami immediately crouched down as well, gently stroking Kise’s hair. The boy started crying harder.

“Hey, hey…what’s wrong?” He whispered, but the child’s head was already buried in Kuroko’s shoulder. Kagami’s eyes found Kuroko’s, who shook his head quietly. It was enough to get the message across. Without another word, Kagami shifted to join their embrace, his strong arms wrapping around both Kise and Kuroko to form an awkward trio. They stayed like that, the afternoon sun filtering in through the windows gradually turning orange. Finally, Kise’s sobs were reduced to little hiccups, and Kagami released his hold. Kise pulled back reluctantly as well, revealing a tear-stained spot on Kuroko’s button-down.

“I-I’m sorry…” the child mumbled, his face red. Kuroko offered a gentle smile, wiping a stubborn tear from Kise’s round face. 

“Please do not worry about it, Kise-kun. We all need a good cry, right?”

Kagami sat back silently, trying to figure out the situation. Obviously, Kise was upset because of Aomine. There couldn’t be any other cause. What had the little idiot done? Usually, the blonde child was quite skilled at keeping his emotions together even when Aomine brushed him off. But for Kise to be this distressed…

After a while, the boy seemed to compose himself, and he thanked the two teachers with a wobbly smile. Kagami pulled the boy in for one last hug, squeezing his skinny frame tightly. Pulling back, he laughed at the boy’s disheveled hair.

“Hey, your hair looks worse than Kuroko’s in the morning!” He said, trying to maintain a cheerful tone. 

The child tilted his head, patting down his hair. “Do you and Kuroko-sensei have sleepovers, Kagami-sensei?”

The smile froze on Kagami’s face. _Ah, crap_. Kise clearly didn’t know that they had moved in together a while back. And he wasn’t about to.

“U-um, sometimes!” Kagami stammered, feeling his cursed cheeks heating up. “For fun! Right, Kuroko?” He turned to his boyfriend desperately.

Thankfully, Kuroko’s cool composure was in place. “Yes,” he smiled, tucking away a stray strand of Kise’s hair. “For fun.”

Kise giggled, and Kagami was relieved. Maybe his slip-up was a good thing. “That’s nice!” the child said, shouldering his backpack. “Goodbye, Kuroko-sensei, Kagami-sensei!”

“Bye!” “See you tomorrow.” They said in unison.

As soon as the door had rattled shut, Kuroko leaned into Kagami, deflated, and they both lowered themselves to the floor behind the teacher’s podium. 

“I worry so much…about that child…” Kuroko whispered, and his agitation was practically tangible. Kagami wrapped his arms around the teacher, rocking him back and forth comfortingly.

“Me too,” he murmured. “Why was he so upset today?”

Kuroko sighed. “It was Kise-kun’s birthday today, and apparently he invited Aomine-kun over, as they have been doing every year. But for the first time since becoming friends, Aomine-kun rejected the invitation.”

Kagami felt his gut tighten. “He didn’t.”

“He did.” Sensing Kagami’s arms unconsciously stiffen, Kuroko grasped his boyfriend’s hands. “But please don’t be too angry with Aomine-kun. They are both so young.”

Kagami groaned. “I know, that’s what makes this so stressful.” He couldn’t bear to see Kise upset, or Kuroko upset because Kise was upset. He decided it was time to take action.

“Tomorrow…I’ll talk to Aomine.”

His boyfriend glanced up in surprise. “But…”

“I won’t yell at him or anything,” Kagami assured him. “I’m just gonna…try and make him realize his feelings.”

Kuroko finally cracked a smile. “You and Aomine-kun are similar, so I’m sure he’ll understand you more than if I spoke with him.”

“H-hey!” Kagami yelped, playfully knocking Kuroko’s head. “I’m not _that_ much of an idiot!”

Kuroko let out a small laugh. “I suppose so. You were the one who declared your love for me, after all.” A cheeky smile spread on his face.

Kagami felt his cheeks heat up again as he recalled his extremely awkward confession so many years ago. “Sh-shut up!” He hissed, turning away in embarrassment.

He felt soft hands grab his face and pull him in for a kiss, chaste and sweet. “I thought you were very cute,” Kuroko breathed against his lips before unfolding himself from Kagami’s lap. “I will see you at home, I have some more paperwork to finish up.” And without another word, the little sneak walked out of the classroom like nothing had happened. Kagami buried his face in his hands, staying under the podium like an idiot for a few more minutes before finally getting up. His initial embarrassment finally wore off as determination set in.

He was going to talk to Aomine.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, he found the tan boy walking to school alone, a soda popsicle in his hand as wide navy eyes traced the flight path of a cicada as it buzzed by him. Kagami was heading to school a little later than he usually did since he didn’t teach first period, which resulted in him commuting around the same time the kids walked to school.

 _Bingo_.

Kagami quickened his steps, his longer legs carrying him right up to Aomine in no time. “Hey,” he said, offering the child a grin.

Aomine jumped, the popsicle almost slipping out of his fingers. “K-Kagami?!”

“Kagami- _sensei_ ,” the man corrected with a sigh, his mind flashing back to that one day in kindergarten when Aomine curled against him, saddened at the possibility that Kise hated him.

Aomine’s initial look of surprise hardened into a frown. “What do you want?” He bit off a chunk of the popsicle, his scowl deepening when Kagami started walking alongside him.

Kagami hesitated for a second. He would have to word things carefully. “Just wanted to talk. So…how are things with you and Kise recently?”

The child’s shoulders hunched up. “We’re not friends anymore.”

The words felt like a tiny jab to his chest. “…Why not?”

Aomine looked away, and for a moment the only sound between them was the soft crunching of the soda ice pop. “It’s weird,” the boy finally said.

“Being friends with Kise is weird?” Kagami repeated.

“Yeah.”

“And why is that?”

There was another pause. “…Dunno.”

Kagami sighed internally. This conversation was going nowhere. He decided to try another tactic. “Kise misses you, you know.”

Aomine didn’t say anything, now toying with the wooden popsicle stick. 

“He’s not mad at you or anything. Just sad. Are you okay with Kise being sad?”

The boy’s mumbled “no” was barely audible, but it was enough to make Kagami cheer in his head.

“Don’t you think you should apologize to him? Did you really not want to celebrate his birthday yesterday?”

Again, Aomine fell silent, but Kagami could read the signs. He was wavering, his dark eyes darting anywhere but at Kagami.

“Haizaki wanted to play basketball,” Aomine finally said, shrugging his narrow shoulders. “So I went.”

“Hm…” Kagami nodded, but he was skeptical. Haizaki, Aomine, and Kise had never been on good terms, especially because Haizaki was the first to point out Aomine and Kise’s relationship as unnatural. There had to be more to the story.

“Did Haizaki say anything about…you and Kise?” Kagami probed.

Aomine’s head shook _no_ , but the rest of his face screamed _yes_. Kagami could pretty much guess the whole deal. Aomine had probably been planning to go to Kise’s, as he did every year, but Haizaki had most likely made a nasty comment about it. And, being the prideful idiot Aomine was, he let it get to him.

“Okay,” Kagami said. He’d been planning to lecture the little dumbass, but the way the child’s eyes were full of denial stopped him. He knew Aomine was hurting. He knewit hurt Aomine to hurt Kise. He knew that, deep inside, Aomine was wanting. Wanting and afraid.

He reached out and ruffled Aomine’s midnight blue hair, to which the boy loosely swatted his hand away. He glared up at Kagami, who just smiled. “That’s all, bud,” he said, and started to walk ahead of the child. After a moment, he turned back.

“Just remember, Kise’s not mad at you. Being friends with him isn’t weird at all. You have nothing to be worried about.”

He resumed walking, not needing to check to know that Aomine had stopped in his tracks, wide eyes staring after him.


	4. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I love torturing myself with sadness.

Kuroko shifted beside him, bringing him back to reality for a moment. He glanced at the clock, which indicated that it was way past midnight and he would regret this in the morning. He always had a tendency to get lost in his thoughts ever since he was a kid, whether it be about his career, his friends, or—for the past twenty years—Kuroko. Tonight, his focus was on Aomine and Kise.

He felt Kuroko snuggle closer to him in his sleep, which still made his heart jump at how adorable the man was. Even the first time they shared a bed at 16, Kuroko had somehow wriggled his way into Kagami’s arms unconsciously, his slow breaths warming Kagami’s chest. Now, he brought an arm around Kuroko’s still frame, making himself comfortable with his nose buried in Kuroko’s soft hair. His mind returned to his previous thoughts.

 

* * *

 

Neither he nor Kuroko knew exactly what happened after the birthday incident, but things seemed to fizzle out. The two boys never really spoke after that, and both Kuroko and Kagami were too busy with their jobs to watch over their every move. The few times Kagami did see the boys, however, they were rarely even in the same hallway. By the time they were in junior high, their new school uniforms still baggy on their slender frames, they never spoke. 

One day, as the boys were approaching the end of their third year, Kagami and Kuroko were in Kagami’s classroom, back when he still taught elementary school English. This was around the time he’d just gotten his high school teaching license, and that meant he would be moving his stuff to one of the desks in the high school faculty room. He smiled as he watched Kuroko struggle to heft a heavy box of papers before he stepped in to help, his grin only widening when Kuroko pouted up at him.

“I can carry this myself,” the stubborn man huffed.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kagami laughed as he swooped in and planted a kiss Kuroko’s on reddened neck. Kuroko turned towards him then, his bright, teasing eyes locking with Kagami’s, when they heard a knock at the door.

“Kagami-sensei? Kuroko-sensei?”

They about jumped a mile in the air, both of them blushing (though Kagami just _knew_ his was more obvious) and whipping around to face the intruder. Kagami’s mouth dropped open.

“K-Kise?!”

Sure enough, standing timidly in the doorway, was Kise, his wide amber eyes darting back and forth between the two teachers. His golden hair and long eyelashes were highlighted by the afternoon sun slanting in through the large windows, his fair skin seeming to shimmer. Kagami noted how the older Kise got, the prettier he became. It was no surprise the boy had landed a part-time job as a model last year.

“Um…sorry to uh, bother you.” Kise finally said with a charming smile after another awkward pause. By then, Kuroko had discreetly shuffled to the other side of the classroom, arranging some textbooks into a neat stack.

“Don’t worry about it! Right, Kuroko?!” Kagami forced out a laugh, willing his face to cool down. 

“Yes,” Kuroko replied, all cool looks and calm tones. “What brings you here today, Kise-kun?”

Instantly, the young model’s sweet smile faltered. “I have some news.”

Kagami sensed something was wrong, and in a quick glance to Kuroko, he knew his partner felt it too. “What is it?” He asked, trying to keep his tone gentle.

“I…I got scouted by a high school…Kaijo. For basketball.”

There was a pause. Then they started at once.

“Kise, that’s awesome!”

“Congratulations, Kise-kun.”

“We’re so proud of you!”

There were smiles on all of their faces. They all laughed. They hugged. It supposed to be a happy moment, one that they hadn’t experienced in a while. But there was one thing looming over all of their minds, and finally, Kuroko spoke.

 

“Have you told Aomine-kun?”

 

With that one question, the light mood fizzled out, and in its place was something more dark and murky. Something they had all avoided for the past few years. Slowly, Kise shook his head. “No.”

“Are you going to?” Kagami added on, treading carefully. He scrutinized Kise’s face for signs of distress. All that he got was a smooth, pretty mask.

“Ah, well, I guess so! Aominecchi should probably know, right?” His voice was bright. Too bright.

“Kise-kun…” Kuroko said softly, his eyes serious. “Are you really all right with that?”

There was a pause, and Kise’s eyes were downcast, covered by his silky hair. When he looked up, he was beaming.

“Of course! I’m grateful for the friendship I had with Aominecchi. I’ll say goodbye to him later!”

_The friendship I had._

They couldn’t do anything but smile back.

 

* * *

 

He didn’t tell Kuroko that he witnessed Kise later, alone in a corner of the hallway, folded in on himself.

He didn’t tell Kuroko that he heard them, tiny little sniffles, barely audible yet clearer than any cry.

He didn’t tell Kuroko how his own heart broke into tiny fragments.

He couldn’t.

 

* * *

 

On the last day of junior high, the third years were all decked out in their usual pale blue button downs and white blazers, their neckties tight and shoes shined. The only difference was that each had a pale pink rose in their lapel, the Teiko tradition for graduating students. 

Of course, the students weren’t _really_ graduating, just moving on to the senior high building. But for some, it would be the last time they ever set foot onto Teiko grounds. 

Like for Kise Ryota.

Kagami hugged Kise tightly to his broad chest, eyes squeezing shut as he felt himself well uncharacteristically with emotion. “Good luck, buddy. I’m gonna miss you.”

“Aw, me too, Kagami-sensei!” The boy hugged back, oozing sunshine and warmth. 

Next up was Kuroko, who was almost swallowed up by the chirpy blonde. “Kuroko-sensei! I’ll miss you too!” 

The man smiled up at his former student, Kise a bit taller than Kuroko now. “And I as well, Kise-kun. Best of luck, and please keep in touch with us.”

“Of course!” Kise trilled, stepping back to meet each of their gazes. “Thank you for everything, Kuroko-sensei, Kagami-sensei. That really meant a lot to me.”

The couple nodded, and Kagami tried to ignore how Kise seemed way too fake, his glittering smile the kind he used for cameras—nothing like the pure radiance he emitted when he was truly happy.

They watched as Kise bounced away to take pictures with his classmates. Kuroko slipped his hand into Kagami’s, and that was enough to convey his emotions as well.

 

* * *

 

Later, when the festivities had wound down and most of the students had gone home, Kagami and Kuroko had been cleaning up stray bits of decorations from the classroom parties each homeroom had hosted. They worked in comfortable silence, carefully peeling tape away from walls and sweeping up crumbs. Taking a break, Kagami stretched his shoulders and glanced out the window to admire the sunset. He stopped short, however, when he spotted two familiar figures at the gates.

“Kuroko!” He whispered, and motioned the shorter man over when he looked up quizzically. Together, they peered out the window, Kuroko nestled under Kagami’s chin, and they held their breath.

Aomine was standing at the gates, his back to Kise, who must've just called Aomine’s name. His shoulders were moving up and down, as if he had been panting after running to catch up. His graduation certificate, safe in its protective tube, was clenched in his fist.

Slowly, Kuroko inched the window open silently, just enough for the teachers to make out what was being said. Both of the teenagers’ backs were to them, so they couldn’t make out their facial expressions.

“Aominecchi.”

“…Kise.”

“I’m leaving…tomorrow. For Kaijo.”

“I know.”

There was a long pause. Kise shifted back and forth on his feet.

“I’ll miss you. Will…will you miss me?” His voice was fragile with hope, trembling like a flower in a rainstorm. Kagami found Kuroko’s hand and squeezed, the tension so thick he didn’t dare breathe. _Don’t screw this up, Ahomine. Don’t…_

 

“No.” 

 

The word, two tiny letters, seemed to echo throughout the school—hollow, icy, and empty. And without another word, Aomine walked away, the gates closing behind him with a loud clang.

The next few minutes seemed like an eternity as the two men watched Kise, who remained standing still. There was an eerie calm, the muted evening air humid and suffocating. Then, quiet as a leaf, Kise began walking as well. Gone was the bundle of sunny energy. Gone was the twinkly laugh and winsome smile. Gone was the student he’d known for almost ten years.

What was left was nothing—nothing but the broken sobs of one of the strongest students he’d ever had.


	5. Five

“Kagami-kun…Kagami-kun…”

His eyes flew open, meeting Kuroko’s in an instant. His mind was foggy, his body heavy, and his eyes hurt from the blinding Saturday morning sun. 

“Morning,” he mumbled, tugging Kuroko towards him and enveloping the smaller man in his arms. He felt himself drifting off again as he reveled in Kuroko’s gentle warmth, but soon Kuroko was shaking him awake again. 

“Kagami-kun, you have to get up for the practice match.”

 _That_ got him awake. His eyes snapped open, and memories of the previous night, and his talk with Aomine, flooded his mind. Shaking his head, he sat up groggily as Kuroko gave him a look. “You couldn’t sleep last night.” It was a statement, not a question.

Kagami nodded sheepishly, rubbing his red eyes. “I was thinking…about them.”

“Of course,” Kuroko gave a little laugh before pecking his cheek and shuffling off to make coffee. Kagami let himself savor the feel of soft lips against his skin for another moment before swinging himself out of bed to get dressed. Today was going to be a long day.

 

* * *

 

“Guys, move it! We don’t have all morning!” 

Kagami shouted orders around the gym, making sure the hoops were lowered and secured, they had plenty of water bottles filled, and there was enough empty space for Kaijo to store their things. While the first years were mopping, the second years set up the scoreboard, tables and chairs. The third years were warming up—all except one.

“Aomine?”

The teen turned towards him, and for a second he was taken aback. Dark circles ringed the angry midnight blue eyes, and the ace’s shoulders were slumped as if in defeat. Kagami had never seen the teen look so broken.

“Hey,” he said cautiously, placing a hand on Aomine’s shoulder. “You feeling okay?”

“I’m _fine_ ,” Aomine growled, twisting away from Kagami’s touch. He was putting up a cranky front, but Kagami could practically hear the uncertainty in the ace’s voice. “I’m gonna go warm up outside.”

Kagami opened his mouth to object—the team still had to set up the gym—but stopped himself. He decided to let Aomine have some time to himself so he could possibly calm down, although he was doubtful that leaving him alone would have any effect. Reluctantly, he nodded, and watched the teen trudge towards the gym’s side exit that led towards the tracks, towel and water in hand.

Just as Aomine disappeared behind the gray door, Kagami’s ears picked up the sound of another clanging open. Turning, he spotted a group of boys in blue jerseys at the gym’s main doors. 

“Good morning!” a guy leading the group called in a clear voice. “Thank you for having us today!”

“G’morning!” the Teiko team called back, and Kagami walked up to the guy, who he presumed to be the captain, with a smile. 

“Thank you all for coming,” he said, discreetly searching for a head of blonde hair. “We all look forward to having a nice match with you guys.”

The team bowed at once, and then gradually scattered across the gym in order to warm up or greet Teiko friends. Suddenly, Kagami’s ears picked up the sounds of thudding footsteps. He looked up, just in time to witness something—or some _one_ —flying towards him.

“Kagami-senseiii!!!”

He couldn’t help the huge grin that broke out on his face when he felt the heavy weight of Kise practically jumping into his arms. For a split second he was speechless, trying to take in Kise’s bubbly appearance, but in the next instant he was hugging back, letting out a bellowing laugh as he embraced his former student.

“Kise! It’s been so long!” he stepped back to catch his breath, drinking in Kise’s appearance. He was still pretty as ever, his silky golden hair slightly shorter than he remembered it to be. A single silver hoop was in his left ear, something that wasn’t there during his middle school days. But what Kagami noticed most was Kise’s smile. It seemed genuine, which made him sigh in relief. At least for now.

“Kise, stop bouncing around everywhere! You’re not five!”

A sharp voice from behind the model caught Kagami’s attention, and Kise pouted as he turned around. “C’mon, Kasamatsu-senpaiii!”

“Stop whining,” a guy in street clothes—Kasamatsu?—sighed as he stepped forward and grabbed Kise’s soft locks. Ignoring Kise’s whines of protest, Kasamatsu forced Kise’s head down into an awkward bowing position, although he was shorter, and he bowed as well. 

“My name’s Kasamatsu Yukio. I was Kaijo’s captain two years ago, and I heard this little brat caused you a lot of trouble when he was younger.”

“O-oh, uh,” Kagami stuttered, not sure what to make of this whole situation. “Nice to meet you, Kasamatsu. So you’re a sophomore in college now?”

“Yes,” Kasamatsu answered, shooting Kise a look with his silvery blue eyes that shut the blonde up. “I’m on my uni’s basketball team, and since we have today off, I decided to come watch the match.” He swatted Kise’s head with a flick of his wrist. “And keep an eye on this one.”

“You’re so meeean, Kasamatsu-senpai!” Kise whimpered, patting his hair back down to perfection. Then he beamed at Kagami. “I’m gonna go warm up with Kasamatsu-senpai. I’ll see you when the match starts, Kagami-sensei!”

And with that, Kise clapped his hands on the shorter man’s shoulders and steered him away, cheerily ignoring Kasamatsu’s shouts of “I’m not playing, idiot!” as he babbled to his former captain all the way out the gym doors.

Kagami stepped back for a minute to process this whole new outcome. He was glad Kise seemed happy—overjoyed, in fact. Being at Kaijo seemed to do wonders for the model.

But was it all because of Kasamatsu?

Kagami thought back to how Kise practically clung to the older teen like a puppy. He thought about how free Kise seemed to be around Kasamatsu, enough to playfully whine and complain to his own former captain. He thought about how, even though it was for a split second, Kasamatsu’s eyes had softened with affection when scolding Kise. Kagami’s mind reeled. Were they…together?

He shook his head. Not _everyone_ was gay. There was a greater possibility that they were just very close; maybe Kasamatsu was Kise’s mentor of some sort. Kise’d entered Kaijo as a first-year in high school, which meant Kasamatsu must’ve been captain that year. They would’ve only been in the same school for a year, but for them to become that close…and since now Kise was a third-year and Kasamatsu a sophomore in college, the two would’ve had to keep in touch and possibly meet up numerous times outside of school in order to stay close. They _could_ have been dating that whole time.

Still contemplating the issue, Kagami glanced at his watch and realized it was almost 9:30, time for the match to start. 

“Five minutes!” he yelled, and both teams called their affirmatives. He looked up and noticed that Aomine was walking back in through the side doors, a towel slung over his shoulders. Kagami made his way over to the teen, unsure of how to bring up Kise.

“You’re back,” Kagami finally said after a pause. He studied Aomine’s features closely. Still tense, still nervous. 

“Yeah,” Aomine said, terse as ever. Then he glanced around the gym. “Kise’s here?”

“He is,” Kagami felt his heart jolt in hope. Was Aomine finally going to speak to his friend? “Want me to go get him?”

“ _No_ ,” Aomine said, his tone suddenly ice, and he stalked away towards the main doors, leaving Kagami standing in the middle of the gym like an idiot.

At that exact moment, the doors swung open, Kise and Kasamatsu returning from their warm up outside the gym. Time seemed to slow down as Kagami watched the scene unfold.

He knew exactly when they met eyes. His eyes zeroed in on the way Aomine’s shoulder’s immediately tensed, his fists balled at his sides. He couldn’t see the teen’s eyes, but he could sure see Kise’s. For a split second, they widened, clearly taking in the sight of Aomine, surprise and years of longing etched into his beautiful features. But in the next instant, those amber eyes tore away, his expression replaced by that glittery fake smile Kagami knew all too well. 

“Long time no see, Aomine-kun.”

 _Aomine-kun_. Kagami felt his stomach drop at the honorific. Kise always called Aomine with a “Aominecchi”, a fond kind of nickname he only used with people he trusted and respected wholeheartedly. Although the “-kun” suffix was a staple for Kuroko, when Kise used it it was almost as if he were speaking with a stranger. 

“…Yeah.” Aomine finally replied, his voice dark, as he swiveled on one foot and started walking in the opposite direction. The smile remained glued to Kise’s face, but Kagami didn’t miss the way Kasamatsu eyed the teen sharply. 

Ah, crap. _This is a mess_ , Kagami thought to himself.

Trying to focus on his real job for the day, he blew his whistle loudly. “We’re starting!” he called, and the two teams scrambled to get into position. Kagami kept an eye on Aomine as he walked over to a cart and scooped up a basketball. The teen was trudging onto the court, gaze downcast. Kagami’s eyes darted over to Kise, who had finally left Kasamatsu’s side and was already in position. Shaking his head, Kagami gripped the ball harder as his muscles tensed for the tipoff. 

As he launched the basketball high into the air, the ball making a clean, smooth arc over his head, he couldn’t help but feel the usual rush of excitement whenever a game started. Despite all the crap going on between Aomine and Kise (and possibly Kasamatsu), Kagami had been looking forward to seeing the two play against each other. When they were little, they’d dabbled in the sport during recess, Aomine clearly more into it than Kise at the time. But in the end, they’d continued into high school, both becoming aces of their teams. They were destined to play each other someday.

Immediately the game moved into action. Kagami’s eyes were glued to the ball, calling out tips to the Teiko team as he made mental notes of each player’s progress. Before he knew it, the ball had found its way into Aomine’s hands, and lo and behold, Kise was the one marking him. The two aces stared each other down for a split second, the tension crackling through the air as Kagami held his breath in anticipation.

When they moved, it was at the exact same time. They ripped across the court as if they were the only two playing. But to Kagami, something was off. In basketball, some direct contact between players was a normal occurrence, whether it be accidentally or purposely, like for a screen. But it Aomine and Kise were avoiding each other like the plague. Whenever Aomine came too close to Kise, the blonde would flinch, hurt shooting across his features. When Kise brushed against Aomine in an attempt to steal the ball, Aomine would jerk back and almost lose the ball to another player. It was painful to watch.

“Fucking hell,” Kagami accidentally blurted out loud.

“Yup,” a voice sighed from beside him, and he jumped, turning to find Kasamatsu standing next to him as he followed the game as well. 

“Oh, h-hey, didn’t see you. Sorry about that,” Kagami muttered, embarrassed. Kasamatsu eyed him carefully.

“No, please don’t worry about it.” They watched the invisible struggle between the two aces in silence for a while before Kasamatsu spoke up again.

“I know about the whole thing.”

There was a beat of silence as Kagami tried to process the younger man’s words.

“Wait, what?” He asked incredulously, forgetting about the game for a moment as he faced Kasamatsu full-on. “About _them_?”

“Yeah,” Kasamatsu affirmed, his eye twitching when Kise stumbled for a second.

“W-why?” Kagami asked, bewildered. He’d never thought that Kise would be the type to talk about his private life, especially to people he didn’t know well. But then again, the pair _did_ seem close…

“Well, I guess I was…a rebound, if you will.” Kasamatsu said slowly, looking away. “For Aomine.”

Kagami blinked. Kise, using Kasamatsu as a rebound? Would Kise really do something like that? “C-can you explain this to me a little more?” he asked, skeptical.

“Sorry, I worded that badly. Well…” Kasamatsu paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. “It started when he was a first-year, I guess. At first he just seemed like a flirty, happy idiot. Always waving to the girls who came to watch him practice and everything. It was annoying as hell.”

Kagami laughed despite the heavy mood. “That’s Kise the model, all right.”

Kasamatsu nodded, smiling at the memory before his face settled back into a serious expression. “Yeah. But sometimes I’d see this…really sad, quiet side of him. Like he was tired of acting and all. I didn’t get why at first, but then I noticed it was always after we watched recaps of Teiko games for reference. A lot of people in Kaijo look up to you guys, so we did that a lot. And Aomine was always in the videos.”

“Oh…” Kagami trailed off, piecing together the story.

“I asked him about it once,” Kasamatsu continued. “I thought I should know if there was any bad history between them. And Kise…well, he kind of spilled everything. He cried a lot. I was pretty shocked at that, but I just tried to make him feel better.”

Kagami’s stomach tightened at the new information. He could easily imagine the scene—Kise’s perfect mask crumbling into pieces, as it did sometimes when he was younger. Back then he had Kagami and Kuroko. Now he apparently had Kasamatsu.

“So when did you…you know, become the rebound?” Kagami probed, trying not to sound too nosy.

Kasamatsu’s eyes darkened. “It was towards the end of that year. On my graduation day. The whole basketball team threw a party for the third-years, and after that Kise and I went out for dinner and street ball. He won, duh, but at the end of the game he got really sad. I asked what was wrong and then…he kissed me.”


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be warned: lots of sad boys and crying ensues

The evening sun seemed to bounce off Kise’s golden hair as he moved like lightning across the court, a smile slipping to the surface despite the intensity of their game.

It was hard for Kasamatsu to focus. 

It was the last time they would ever play basketball together as third-year captain and first-year ace, because today was Kasamatsu’s last day of high school. Ever. And he was going to miss it.

“Kasamatsu-senpai! You’re not focusing!” He could practically _hear_ the pout in Kise’s voice.

“Sorry, sorry,” he mumbled, accepting the ball tossed to him. For the last seven minutes of their game, they were back to normal. Kise pouted and shrieked and giggled through the entire game, while Kasamatsu retaliated with his own kicks and jabs and shouts.

As the game neared an end, Kise dunked over him, and instead of going for the rebound, Kasamatsu simply watched. He watched the lean, tall figure fly through the air as if he belonged in the sky, eyes shining like the blazing evening sun. The ball crashed through the hoop with a sense of finality, and for a split second Kasamatsu’s eyes welled. He would miss the blonde asshole. He would miss him a lot.

“Senpai?” He heard Kise behind him, concern filling his voice. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he cut in, shaking his head. “I was just thinking about how this’ll be our last time playing together.”

No response came, and Kasamatsu turned around out of confusion. “Kise?”

He was greeted with an expression he had never seen before on the usually smiling teen. His lips trembled, eyes downcast and covered by long lashes. The basketball was gripped tightly in his hands, sweaty locks obscuring most of his face. 

“Our last game…” he heard the words somewhere in his mind, but couldn’t quite register what came next. In one instant, Kise looked like he was about to cry. In the next, he was approaching, coming closer and closer, cornering Kasamatsu against the chainlink fence of the street ball court. Soft fingers cupped his warm face, and all he could see was the warm amber of Kise’s eyes.

Their lips met, and for the briefest of moments Kasamatsu stiffened in shock, registering the foreign sensation of flesh against his. But in the next moment, he relaxed, accepting his twisted fate. He allowed himself to revel in the warmth of Kise’s full lips, his soft fingertips, his slow breath, the world melting away as Kise cradled his face in his hands. And Kasamatsu let him. 

He’d be lying to himself if he said that he didn't have a thing for Kise.

But he’d also be lying to himself if he said those feelings were reciprocated.

That thought pulled him back to reality, and for a second he struggled against Kise’s grasp. But the blonde kept insisting, his lips melding to Kasamatsu’s gently as his tongue darted out to brush against Kasamatsu’s bottom lip, and when Kasamatsu let out an embarrassing “ah” at the feeling, he felt Kise grinning. 

He could let everything go. He could allow himself to be swept away. He could pretend to be the one Kise really wanted.

But the voice nagging the back of mind told him otherwise.

“I…” Kasamatsu gasped in between kisses as Kise skillfully almost reduced him to a quivering mess, his lips moving from his mouth to his jawline and neck. But he stood his ground, his shaking fingers finding Kise’s bare arms and gripping them weakly.

“I’m not Aomine.”

Kise froze in the middle of kissing down Kasamatsu’s throat, and he felt the muscles in Kise’s arms tighten as the teen pulled away, excruciatingly slow. When their eyes finally met, tears glittered in Kise’s eyes like tiny diamonds. 

“I-I’m so sorry…senpai, I don’t know why…”

“It’s okay,” Kasamatsu cut off Kise’s trembling voice with an authoritative tone—or, well, authoritative as one could be with bright red cheeks and hooded eyes. 

“No, I…what have I done…?” Kise was retreating into himself as he backed away, slowly going into panic mode. Kasamatsu had to stop him. He reached out, grabbed Kise tightly by both arms once again, and pulled him back to where he was originally.

“Stop,” Kasamatsu commanded in his captain voice, his silvery eyes boring into Kise’s. “It’s. Okay.” He repeated, punctuating each word. He paused, breathing in. “I didn’t mind it, Kise. Not at all.”

“I…I…” Kise’s eyes were plates as he tried to squirm away, but then Kasamatsu’s last words seemed to sink in. “What?”

“I said,” Kasamatsu said, his tone softer. “That I didn’t mind it.”

He watched his underclassman absorb his words, conflicting emotions crossing his face before settling into uncertainty. “B-but…that would mean…”

“Yeah,” Kasamatsu interrupted, willing down the unexpected urge to cry. They both knew. He _knew_ they both knew. And he was ready to give up. “That’s what it means.”

They stayed still for a second longer, Kasamatsu keeping his iron grip on Kise’s forearms, before tears started to build up again in Kise’s eyes. He stepped forward, once again invading Kasamatsu’s personal space, and hugged him tightly.

“I’m sorry, Kasamatsu-senpai…” the blonde openly sobbed. “I’m so sorry I…I can’t…”

“I know,” Kasamatsu replied, conveying his understanding and patience and longing into those two words. He returned the embrace and allowed himself to rest his head on Kise’s shoulder for the first—and last—time. It fit perfectly in the juncture of his collarbone, and he breathed in the scent of Kise’s citrusy cologne and the slight tang of sweat. 

“Hey,” he spoke up again, his lips moving against Kise’s tank top. “You better be okay. It doesn’t suit you when you’re all mopey and depressed.”

He felt, more than heard Kise’s low laugh in reply. “I’ll try, senpai. You’ll keep me going, right?”

 _Selfish_. The blonde bastard was selfish as hell, and loud, and whiny, and all those other negative adjectives Kasamatsu pelted at the ace over the last year. But he still loved the idiot enough to support him through a rough relationship involving a total stranger. How pathetic of him.

But at the same time, he smiled, a mix of acceptance and resignation in his features, as he nodded against Kise’s skin. 

“I have no choice, do I?”

 

* * *

 

They still met from time to time after that day. They fell back into their usual pace as if nothing had happened, Kasamatsu still kicking Kise from behind followed by Kise’s whines of protest as their normal greeting. They would play street ball (of course Kise won every time), go shopping (which consisted of Kasamatsu becoming a human mannequin as Kise threw on all sorts of crazy ensembles on him in the fitting rooms), and watch movies in Kasamatsu’s dorm (Kise mostly chattered through the entire film). It was like they were both still in Kaijo, and Kasamatsu savored those evenings when Kise would laugh the night away, making fun of Kasamatsu’s awkward karaoke skills or shoving magazines with Kise gracing the cover in his face. 

But there were also evenings when Kise would show up to his dorm unannounced, a bag of convenience store snacks held loosely in his grip as a sort of apology for barging in. Kasamatsu was glad he had a single dorm, because then Kise could cry in privacy, his sniffles muffled in Kasamatsu’s shoulder. He would always put on some movie that neither of them watched, the bags of snacks that Kise brought over slowly emptied as they sat in silence for a long while. Finally, when Kise’d quieted down and his red-rimmed eyes weren’t as puffy, he’d talk. About how he’d seen Aomine at a random street game. About how they’d sometimes run into each other when shopping for basketball shoes. About how every time, he’d act like a total stranger.

And Kasamatsu would listen, and nod, and rub Kise’s shoulder comfortingly, doing everything a good friend should. And each time, he would fold his own heart into something so small he could push it deep down and ignore it.

Just for a little while. 

At the end of these kinds of nights, they would usually end up just sitting on the cramped twin bed, facing the TV long after the credits had rolled. Each night, Kise would apologize.

“I’m sorry, Kasamatsu-senapi. I must be such a bother.”

“Shut it. I’ve already told you I don’t mind all of this,” would be Kasamatsu’s go-to response. Even if it hurt a little to say it.

“I just…don’t know who else to talk to. I don’t want to complain to Kuroko-sensei or Kagami-sensei. They’re both so busy.”

“And I’m not?” would be his attempt to lighten the mood, each time answered with a small, sad smile.

He would let Kise cuddle into his side. He would let the blonde fall asleep on his shoulder, his arm slowly losing any kind of sensation. He would let himself do this, at least once a month, even though he knew Kise was still hurting and had to find a way out of his own mess by himself.

One particular night, Kise stayed late, almost falling asleep on Kasamatsu’s lap before he gently shook him awake.

“Hey,” Kasamatsu murmured, letting his fingertips run through silken hair. “You have a photo shoot early tomorrow, right? You better go.”

“Mm…” was all he got as a reply, Kise’s lashes fluttering as his eyes drooped closed against Kasamatsu’s knee. “Five more minutes…”

He sighed loudly in response, earning a tiny upward tilt of Kise’s lips as the blonde continued his light slumber. But he knew that he would let the idiot sleep in his lap for years if he asked. He took the time to study his underclassman’s features; it really was unfair how sinfully gorgeous Kise was, from his bright golden eyes to the smile that seemed to blind the sun. Just as his fingers were midway through Kise’s flaxen hair, the teen murmured something. Intrigued, Kasamatsu leaned in closer to hear.

“I’m sorry…senpai…”

He jerked back, causing Kise to flinch in his sleep but not waken. The words were probably said unconsciously, not meant to be spoken out loud, but Kasamatsu knew exactly the multiple meanings behind those three words.

_I’m sorry for taking time away from your evenings._

_I’m sorry for pestering you about my stupid love life._

_I’m sorry I can’t feel the same way about you._

And he accepted it. He accepted everything about the blonde, and really, when hadn’t he? From the moment Kise entered his life, like a ball of pure sunshine crashing into the Kaijo gym that first day of practice, he felt a soft spot form in his heart. And as they spent more and more time together, and as he began to see that Kise wasn’t all perfect smiles and flirty waves, that spot only grew. And now, as he watched the simple-minded idiot shoulder so much hurt just because of one person, he couldn’t help but support him every way he could. 

Because he loved him, and he’d never stopped loving him.

“Kise,” he said, his voice low in the darkened dorm room. “Remember what I told you way back?” Kasamatsu knew Kise couldn’t hear him. But he kept on talking.

“It’s the ace’s job to lead the team to victory. But don’t go shouldering the team’s loss too. That’s my job, as captain.”

He thought he saw Kise smile. It was probably just his imagination.

“The ace just has to keep looking forward.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay wow that really hurt to write!! I love KiKasa with all my heart and yet I HAD to make their relationship like this *hides under a rock*


	7. Seven

When Kagami finished listening to Kasamatsu’s story, he couldn’t do much other than stare in shock at the shorter man. Neither he nor Kuroko had ever heard about Kasamatsu from Kise, and it was hard to believe that the blonde had actually found someone other than Kagami or Kuroko that he could completely open up to. In a way, it warmed Kagami’s heart.

“…Sorry that was long,” Kasamatsu muttered, looking at his feet in embarrassment. It took a moment for Kagami to react, but then he smiled.

“No, don’t worry about it. Thanks for telling me,” he said, and then added, “Kise wouldn’t have been able to make it this far without you.”

“Please,” Kasamatsu scoffed, but Kagami didn’t miss the blush on his cheeks.

 

* * *

 

At halftime, both teams got a fifteen-minute break. The score was 48-45, with Teiko winning. Neither team was doing exceptionally well, and anyone could guess why.

“Kise! What the hell is with you today?”

“Aomine! Are you even trying?”

Kasamatsu and Kagami yelled at the exact same time, at opposite ends of the gym.

Kagami felt his anger dangerously close to the surface as he stared down at Teiko’s ace, who was slumped on the bench as he gulped down water. Quickly glancing at the clock, he snapped orders to the Teiko captain.

“Third quarter, switch to diamond and one defense! Aomine, you’re coming with me!” 

Ignoring the captain’s confused look and Aomine’s shouts of protest, he dragged the ace out of the gym into the hallway.

“Aomine,” he started, not even sure of what to say anymore. “I don’t care how you decide to deal with Kise later on. But I’m not letting this affect your basketball too. It’s about time you do something about this frickin’ mess!”

The teen in his grip said nothing, his obvious anger stewing silently.

“I’ve already told you a million times Kise’s not mad at you or embarrassed about being seen with you. So what’s holding you back now? Why don’t you—”

“JUST LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!”

Aomine’s sudden outburst startled Kagami, causing him to let go of the tanned arm in surprise. He couldn’t even react before the teen started shouting again.

“Why do _you_ have to tell me how to deal with this?! What do you even know about how I feel?! Do you I think I _want_ Kise to be miserable all the time?”

Kagami was taken aback. “No, of course not—”

Aomine was practically shaking with pent-up fury. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white, and he couldn’t even look at Kagami properly. 

“I’m trying…I’m trying to make him hate me!”

A beat passed before the words sank in. 

“W-why…?”

“What else can I do?!” Aomine shouted, and when he finally looked up, Kagami was shocked to find tears bubbling in the midnight blue eyes, which the teen swiped at furiously before continuing.

“Sure we were friends when we were kids. But I’m dense, and unthoughtful, and…and a fucking _douche_! I can’t do _anything_ for him except hurt him every goddamn time I see him and I fucking hate it! Even if we started… _dating_ …”—Aomine’s face flushed at the word—“…and maybe even living together it would never work out. I can’t even take care of myself. How the hell would I take care of him? I can’t cook. I can’t do shit. I can’t give him a family. People are still gonna think he’s a creep and I can’t _stand_ that. I can’t…I can’t…”

Aomine choked on an ugly sob, a sound that Kagami would never imagine coming out of the teen’s mouth. The last words were barely audible.

“I can’t make him happy.”

His heart broke for Aomine. And as he watched the teen—who always put up a tough front guarded by scowls and expletives—break down in front of him, all he could see was a lost child, so damn afraid of the future and what it held for him. And he also couldn’t help but see his own high school self, all those years ago, worrying his guts out about the exact same thing. And it hurt. So he did the only thing he could in the situation.

He reached out, gathering Aomine in a tight embrace. And for once, the boy didn’t object. He let himself be held, letting out twelve years of suffering onto Kagami’s shoulder.

 

* * *

 

 

“Kagami Tetsuya.”

“Kuroko Taiga.”

“Kagami Tetsuya sounds better,” Kagami huffed as he rubbed his thumb against Kuroko’s palm, their joined hands sharing warmth in the frigid winter air. Kuroko laughed softly, his breath creating white puffs.

“Very well, Kagami-kun. Will you make me Kagami Tetsuya, then?”

“…!” Kagami felt himself blush at Kuroko’s bluntness before he could answer. 

“One of these days, dumbass. Just you wait.” He squeezed Kuroko’s smaller, paler hand.

They walked in silence for a while longer, the grocery bags in each of their free hands rustling quietly. Kagami wondered how much longer they could spend weekends like this, just the two of them, going shopping to keep Kagami’s pantry full, or walking Nigou, or simply sitting on the couch for hours, Kuroko reading his latest mystery novel as Kagami flipped through basketball magazines. They were third-years, and graduating high school in a month. Although they could thankfully spend the next four years in the same university, Kagami worried for the more distant future. What would happen after that, when they got full-time jobs? Would they still live together? Would they still spend weekends together?

…Would they still _be_ together?

“Kagami-kun? You look like you are thinking too hard,” Kuroko interrupted his thoughts, a tiny smirk on his face.

“Hey,” Kagami retorted, a flash of irritation running through him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

They laughed, but as they passed a father walking hand in hand with his young child, Kagami slowed down again. “Kuroko,” he blurted, gazing down at his boyfriend of two years.

Kuroko stopped walking, tilting his head up at Kagami questioningly.

“I…I know this might sound stupid,” Kagami began, unsure of how to word it. “But I know I’m reckless, and obnoxious, and make you worry a lot…and I’m sorry I can’t be more reliable and all. And when I think about the next four years, or even _more_ than that, I…I get worried that you…you wouldn’t want to…”

He was about to continue when he felt a finger against his lips. Surprised, his eyes found Kuroko’s clear blue ones boring into his, wide and intense.

“Kagami-kun,” Kuroko said, eyes softening. “It is natural for you to worry about the future. I find myself doing the same thing. But the only thing that matters to me now is that I want to be by your side. Even if that may change in the years to come, right now in any future I envision you are always with me.”

Kuroko moved his finger from Kagami’s lips and used both hands to grasp his face, pulling Kagami down as he stood on tiptoe. He kissed him slowly, gently, right on the sidewalk on a Sunday morning as the forgotten grocery bags dropped onto the pavement.

When they parted, Kagami was completely flushed, his heart toppling over itself with overwhelming love and trust and _emotion_. Kuroko smiled up at him, one of the rare genuine smiles that came directly from his soul and made Kagami fall for him all over again.

“Is that not enough, Kagami-kun?” Kuroko laughed at Kagami’s reddened face, the sound twinkly and full of life.

This time, it was Kagami who moved, wrapping a hand around the back of Kuroko’s neck as his fingers curled into soft blue locks. He returned the sultry kiss, savoring it, savoring every bit of Kuroko he could, because there was no way in hell he was letting this one go.

“Damn right it is,” he breathed against Kuroko’s lips as he felt the shorter boy slowly unraveling under his touch. And it didn’t matter that they were probably blocking the entire sidewalk, and that some pedestrians were shooting them icy looks, and that he didn’t know _what_ the future held and what he wanted to do with it.

All that mattered was that he had Kuroko, right then.

 

* * *

 

Kagami didn’t know why he suddenly recalled that blip in his and Kuroko’s relationship, but he felt that Kuroko’s words should be relayed to Aomine. He ran his hand through the teen’s hair, not caring about the sticky sweat, and began to speak softly.

“It’s pretty much a given you’ll worry about what comes next, or what people will say, or whatever. I did, too, when I was your age. But all that matters is that you have Kise right now. Even if it’s just until things change. Think about the future when the future comes. Don’t torture yourself about it right now.” 

He pulled away, a small smile tugging at his lips as he gazed down at the sniffling not-so-little-anymore brat he’d known for more than a decade. 

“Got it, _Ahomine_?”

Something between a laugh and a scowl bubbled out of Aomine.

“Shut up, Bakakagami.”

 

They barely made it back to the gym in time, the entire team casting curious glances towards Aomine’s reddened eyes but not saying anything. 

“Sorry about that, guys,” Kagami apologized, assessing the team’s condition. “Like I said before, we’ll switch to diamond and one defense. Furukawa, mark Kobayashi and we’ll see how that goes. No more double-teaming for now. And Aomine,” he turned towards the ace.

“You know what to do.”

Aomine didn’t answer, but the determined look in his eyes was stronger than any affirmative.

 

* * *

 

During the third quarter, it was almost as if Aomine was back to his old self—filled with glee at the prospect of a strong opponent, going full-out with complicated street ball moves. Although at first, both teams were surprised at the sudden change, they quickly regrouped, attempting to keep the ace in check.

But it was Kise who seemed to come back alive.

Kagami couldn’t help but follow the blonde’s reactions instead of focus on his own team. He saw confusion, surprise and doubt cross Kise’s face before his amber eyes settled into pure joy. His best friend was back—at least for the game. And for Kise, it seemed to be enough.

“I take it you spoke with Aomine-kun?” A voice piped up out of nowhere.

“Gah!” Kagami jumped a foot in the air; even though he’d been with the blue-haired idiot for years he still almost had a heart attack every time he was snuck up on. 

He whipped around to find Kuroko staring up at him cheekily. “What are you doing here?!”

“I couldn’t sit still,” the man said simply. “I had to come.”

Kagami grumbled and turned back to the game, but he completely understood. It was like watching their own children reconnect. He didn’t want to miss a single second.

“Well, Kise sure looks happy,” Kasamatsu, who had returned from a bathroom break, spoke up. “Did you talk to them?”

“Just Aomine,” Kagami laughed. “But I’m sure Kise sees it in how Aomine plays.”

Kasamatsu gazed out onto the court, and Kagami knew that he was happy for Kise, even though he didn’t say anything. For a moment, they all remained silent, watching the two aces rip across the court. Then, Kuroko spoke up.

“I apologize. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Kuroko Tetsuya, and I am Kise-kun’s former teacher. Nice to meet you.”

For a split second, Kasamatsu looked right and left, his bewildered eyes searching the area to discern where the voice came from. Finally, they landed on Kuroko, and like most people meeting him for the first time, he jumped.

“Whoa! S-sorry, I didn’t see you there…?” He glanced between Kagami and Kuroko in confusion, but composed himself soon after.

“I’m Kasamatsu Yukio, Kaijo’s former captain. Nice you meet you, too.”

Kuroko nodded and smiled, but other than that the three didn’t initiate further conversation; they were much too engrossed in the game. Kagami watched every move, every intricate technique, but the majority of his attention was on the two aces. It was like a spotlight was shining down on them, blue and gold light trailing in their wake.

 

* * *

 

“86-80! Teiko wins!” The student ref yelled out an hour later. 

Kagami clapped and shouted words of praise to both teams, who seemed to both deflate a little in exhaustion. The game had been intense, and everyone had played well. It had been a valuable game.

Especially for Aomine and Kise.

Both teams lined up at the center of the gym, exchanging handshakes and bowing. Kagami, Kuroko, and Kasamatsu watched like hawks as the two lines shuffled along and finally, Aomine arrived in front of Kise. 

Kise, as usual, was the one who extended a hand first, a trembling smile on his face. His golden eyes screamed hope, but he seemed to be trying to hold back. Kagami’s stomach clenched as he thought back to teary eyes and crushed resolve, praying that finally, finally, all would be right. And, as the three of them watched, Kagami felt like he could finally breathe again.

Aomine’s tanned arm reached back slowly, grasping Kise’s hand in a firm shake. But he didn’t stop there. He continued to tug, Kise resisting out of confusion at first but his eyes widening when he realized Aomine’s intentions. It was almost as if Kise fell, straight into Aomine’s warm and welcoming embrace.

“Kagami-kun,” Kuroko whispered at his side, his voice full of joy and relief.

“Yeah,” Kagami mouthed back, his eyes glued to the scene. 

Nothing else mattered: not the curious glances from teammates, or the scent of sweat permeating the humid gymnasium air. All he could focus on was Aomine arms wrapped around Kise’s frame, his face buried in the blonde’s shoulder, face pinched in happiness. Kise’s laughter rang throughout the room, pure sunshine and elation but still shaky with tears of relief. His fingers were fisted in the back of Aomine’s uniform, chin propped on his broad shoulder. 

They were together again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the bulk of the story ends here, and I'm debating whether to include an Aoki epilogue or another Kagakuro flashback to wrap it up...let me know what you guys think!
> 
> Sorry for the overall lack of plot, but I hope you enjoyed some Aoki angst and fluff with Kagakuro on the side ;)


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